Pushbutton slide switch

ABSTRACT

A pushbutton slide switch includes two sets of switches, two sets of slides in side by side relationship, each slide set including actuating slides movable for selectively actuating a switch within the corresponding switch set, and interlocking disengagement means comprising an interlock connector and an interlock slide in each slide set. The interlock slides are movable by the connector for simultaneous disengagement of at least one switch in a first switch set in response to closing a switch in the other switch set.

United States Patent [191 Mallett et al.

[ July 30, 1974 PUSI-IBUTTON SLIDE SWITCH [75] Inventors: James A. Mallett, Dorchester;

Edward B. Mitchell, Belmont, both of Mass.

[73] Assignee: Ark-Les Switch C0rp., Watertown,

Mass.

[22] Filed: Nov. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 307,483

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of SCI. No. 130,604, April 2, 1971, Pat. No.

[52] US. Cl 339/95 D [51] Int. Cl H0lr 9/08 [58] Field of Search 339/95 D [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,093,433 6/l963 Egc.... 339/95 D 6/1971 .lans 339/95 D OTHER PUBLICATIONS Pass and Seymour, lnc., Roto-Glo Quiet Switch," March 1955.

Primary ExaminerBobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Lawrence .l. Staab [57] ABSTRACT A pushbutton slide switch includes two sets of switches, two sets of slides in side by side relationship, each slide set including actuating slides movable for selectively actuating a switch within the corresponding switch set, and interlocking disengagement means comprising an interlock connector and an interlock slide in each slide set. The interlock slides are movable by the connector for simultaneous disengagement of at least one switch in a first switch set in response to closing a switch in the other switch set.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIEMTEBJM I91 3,827,008;

SHEU 2 [1F 3 FIG 3 PUSHBUTTON SLIDE SWITCH This is a division of application Ser. No. 130,604, filed Apr. 2, 1971, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,786.

This invention relates to switches. More particularly, it relates to a pushbutton slide switch providing multiple connections.

In many uses of multiple pushbutton switches, it is desirable to provide a large number of possible connections, each of which requires a pushbutton actuator to be provided on the switch housing. If the actuators are arranged in a single row, the shape of the resulting switch housing is narrow and elongated, which is often impractical for attachment' to available surfaces, as well as inconvenient in use. Therefore it is desirable to provide an arrangement of the pushbutton actuators that permits the housing to have a compact shape and that groups the actuators conveniently for use.

In particular, two rows of actuators side by side provide a convenient arrangement for use, in which all the actuators are within range of the users hand without the necessity of reaching. However, in single row slide switches, the design of the slides is such that depression of each pushbutton, by moving a slide or slides, disconnects some or all other switches in the row. Where two rows of actuators are employed to move two sets of slides in side-by-side relationship, this disconnecting function must be extended to the second row of slides and actuators.

It is therefore an object of the invention to'provide a multiple pushbutton slide switch of compact convenient arrangement, which provides positive disconnection of some or all other switch elements in response to actuation of a single pushbutton. It is a further object to provide such a switch that is simple in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, and reliable in use.

The multiple pushbutton slide switch of the invention provides at least two sets of electrical switch elements, and at least two corresponding sets of actuating slides. The actuating slides are movable for selectively actuating one switch while disconnecting other switches in the corresponding switch set, and motion-transmitting means are provided for simultaneous disconnection of switches in the remaining switch sets.

In a preferred embodiment, two sets of electrical switch elements are provided, with two corresponding sets of actuating slides, arranged in side-by-side relationship. Two corresponding sets of actuators operate on the slide sets. Each slide set includes actuating slides, movable by the actuators for selectively actuating a switch within the corresponding switch set while disengaging the remaining switches within the set. The motion-transmitting means comprises a rigid elongated connector extending between and parallel to the slide sets, and an interlock slide in each slide set, movable responsive to any actuator operating on that slide set, and adapted to engage the connector. The connector provides an engaging arm at each end for engagement of an interlock slide. When an actuator is depressed, the corresponding interlock slide is moved to engage an engaging arm of the connector, thereby moving the connector and transmitting the motion by the other engaging arm to the remaining interlock slide. Switches in the remaining set are thereby disengaged.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the switch;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the switch;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view, with portions omitted for clarity, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. '1. The pushbutton slide switch of the invention is generally similar in operation to the switch disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,431,904 to Andrews. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the switch is contained in a housing 10, which provides a general on-off switch 12 and four rows of four button actuators 14 in staggered arrangement. Housing may be secured to any convenient surface by four mounting screws 11. A hollow insulating bay 17 is secured to floor 16 by two screws 13. Bay 17 has a side wall 60 adjacent housing floor 16. Hole 49 in side wall 60 of bay 17 admits a power line to on-off switch 12. A rowof exterior wire-admitting holes 18 in side wall 60 allows the insertion of wires 20 to the switch elements contained in the housing.

Within bay 17 adjacent each hole 18 there is provided a wire retainer 22, providing a substantially straight end portion 21, a reverse-curved end portion 25, and a substantially straight side portion 65 at right angles to straight end portion 21 and connecting it with curved end portion 25. Retainer 22 is electrically connected by stake 24 through straight portion 21 of retainer 22 to resilient double terminal member 26. Side portion 65 of retainer 22 provides an interior wireadmitting opening 23 adjacent a portion of hole 18 in bay 17. End portion 25 of retainer 22 curves upwardly beyond hole 23, and provides a guiding surface 27 convex to hole 23. A cooperating barb 31 is cut from straight portion 21 and bent downwardly at an angle of about 10. Guiding surface 27 and barb 31 together provide wire guide means defining a path for wire 20 when it is inserted through holes 18 and 23. End portion 25 of retainer 22 terminates in a sharply edged jaw 29, the gripping edge 19 being directed away from hole 23 and at an acute angle to the path defined bysurface 27 and barb 31. Barb 31 provides cooperating sharply edged latching jaws 33, with gripping edge 34 also directed away from hole 23 and at an acute angle to the defined wire path, and located on the opposite side of the defined path from gripping edge 19. .law 29 and latching jaw 33 are biased toward one another, and in the absence of a wire, are normally spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of a wire.

When a wire 20 is inserted through hole 18 in bay 17 and adjacent hole 23 in retainer 22, it is guided by surface 27 and barb 31 along the defined path and moves past the two jaws successively, forcing them slightly apart. Both gripping edges 19 and 33 then cooperatively press into wire 20 from opposite sides, exerting a force opposing the retraction of wire 20 out of bay 17. This force increses in magnitude when the wire is under .tension, that is, when it is pulled outwardly of bay 17, and jaws 33 and 29 cooperate to provide a pinching action on the retained wire. By this means, wire 20 is effectively retained in electrical contact with double terminal member 26.

Referring now to FIG. 4, when switch 12 is in the on position, the first contact plate 42 is live, and is connected through a diode 43 to the second contact plate 44. Contact plates 42 and 44 provide a plurality of fixed terminal members 46. Opposed fixed terminal members thus provide two possible connections to the power source for each resilient double terminal member; a connection to any fixed terminal 46 on plate 44 provides one half the power of connection to the opposed fixed terminal member on plate 42.

Each resilient double terminal member 26 provides two contact points 48 and 50 for engaging the fixed terminal'members.

Two slide sets 28 and 30 operate on each resilient double terminal member 26 to control its engagement of the fixed terminals. Slide set 28 comprises three actuating slides 28-1, 28-2, 28-3 and an interlock slide 28-4. Slide set 28 is operated by two rows of staggered actuating buttons 14, comprising an actuator set 36. Slide set 30 similarly has three actuating slides and an interlock slide 30-4, and is operated by actuator set 38. Interlock slides 28-4 and 30-4 extend beyond the actuating slides in each set.

Each actuator button 14 provides an actuator arm 40 extending across all four slides in the corresponding slide set.

Disposed between slide sets 28 and 30 is a Z-bar connector 52, supported on insulator 53, and providing two arms 54 and 56. Interlock slides 28-4 and 30-4, extending beyond the actuating slides in each set, engage arms 54 and 56 respectively. The configuration of each interlock slide is such that the depression of any actuator button 14 in the actuator set operating on that interlock slide will move the slide.

Thus, when any button 14 operating on slide set 28 is depressed, interlock slide 28-4 is moved in the direction of arrow 58 and engages arm 54 of Z-bar 52. Arm 56 is thereby moved to engage interlock slide 30-4, moving it in the direction indicated by arrow 60. This motion disengages all contacts from contact plate 44. Similarly, if any button 14 operating on slide set 30 is depressed, interlock slide 30-4 is moved in the direction of arrow 62 to engage the Z-bar and thereby move slide 28-4 for disengagement of all contacts from contact plate 42.

It will be seen, therefore, that in a pushbutton slide switch constructed in accordance with this embodiment of the invention, depression of any actuator on either side of the switch will automatically and simultaneously disengage all other switches on both sides, permitting construction and use of a compact multicontact switch. However, interlock slides could be provided of a design to selectively disengage one or more switches in a set without disengaging all of them, should that be desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a housing having a hollow insulating element with a side wall including an exterior wire-admitting hole,

a conducting wire retainer providing a substantially straight end portion a reverse-curved end portion a substantially straight side portion at right angles to said straight end portion and connecting said straight end portion with said curved end portion, said side portion providing an interior wireadmitting hole, and said reverse-curved end portion including a curved guide surface convex to said interior wire-admitting hole, and

a barb bent downwardly from said straight end portion at an acute angle and cooperating with said end portion curved guide surface to provide wire guide means defining a path for an admitted wire,

said reverse-curved end portion including a first edged jaw having a first gripping edge directed generally at an acute angle to said defined path and away from said interior wire-admitting hole, said barb providing a second opposed cooperating latching jaw on the opposite side of said defined path from said first jaw, having a second gripping edge directed generally at an acute angle to said defined path and away from said interior wireadmitting hole, said first and second jaws normally being spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of an admitted wire and biased toward each other,

whereby an admitted wire passes along said defined path and smoothly past said first and second gripping edges into retained position, and said first and second gripping edges cooperatively press into a said retained wire exerting a force opposed to the removal of said wire, said force increasing in magnitude during tension of said wire.

2. In combination with a housing having a floor, internal electric terminal structure adjacent one surface of the floor, and a wire-retainer bay adjacent the opposite surface of the floor, said bay having a side wall adjacent the housing floor, said side wall including an exterior wire-admitting hole,

a conducting wire retainer providing a substantially straight end portion a reverse-curved end portion a substantially straight side portion at right angles to said straight end portion and connecting said straight end portion with said curved end portion, said side portion providing an interior wireadmitting hole, and said reverse-curved end portion including a curved guide surface convex to said interior wire-admitting hole, and

a barb bent downwardly from said straight end portion at an acute angle and cooperating with said end portion curved guide surface to provide wire guide means defining a path for an admitted wire,

said reverse-curved end portion including a first edged jaw having a first gripping edge directed generally at an acute angle to said defined path and away from said interior wire-admitting hole,

said barb providing a second opposed cooperating latching jaw on the opposite side of said defined path from said first jaw, having a second gripping edge directed generally at an acute angle to said defined path and away from said interior wireadmitting hole,

said first and second jaws normally being spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of an admitted wire and biased toward each other,

said wire retainer being received in said housing wireretainer bay with said retainer straight end portion staked through said housing floor to said internal terminal structure to provide electrical connection between said retainer and said internal terminal structure, said retainer side portion being adjacent said bay side wall with said interior wire-admitting hole adjacent said exterior wire-admitting hole,

5 6 whereby an admitted wire passes along said defined said retained wire exerting a force opposed to the path and smoothly past said first and second gripremoval of said wire, said force increasing in magping edges into retained position, and said first and nitude during tension of said wire. second gripping edges cooperatively press into a 

1. In combination with a housing having a hollow insulating element with a side wall including an exterior wire-admitting hole, a conducting wire retainer providing a substantially straight end portion a reverse-curved end portion a substantially straight side portion at right angles to said straight end portion and connecting said straight end portion with said curved end portion, said side portion providing an interior wire-admitting hole, and said reverse-curved end portion including a curved guide surface convex to said interior wire-admitting hole, and a barb bent downwardly from said straight end portion at an acute angle and cooperating with said end portion curved guide surface to provide wire guide means defining a path for an admitted wire, said reverse-curved end portion including a first edged jaw having a first gripping edge directed generally at an acute angle to said defined path and away from said interior wireadmitting hole, said barb providing a second opposed cooperating latching jaw on the opposite side of said defined path from said first jaw, having a second gripping edge directed generally at an acute angle to said defined path and away from said interior wireadmitting hole, said first and second jaws normally being spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of An admitted wire and biased toward each other, whereby an admitted wire passes along said defined path and smoothly past said first and second gripping edges into retained position, and said first and second gripping edges cooperatively press into a said retained wire exerting a force opposed to the removal of said wire, said force increasing in magnitude during tension of said wire.
 2. In combination with a housing having a floor, internal electric terminal structure adjacent one surface of the floor, and a wire-retainer bay adjacent the opposite surface of the floor, said bay having a side wall adjacent the housing floor, said side wall including an exterior wire-admitting hole, a conducting wire retainer providing a substantially straight end portion a reverse-curved end portion a substantially straight side portion at right angles to said straight end portion and connecting said straight end portion with said curved end portion, said side portion providing an interior wire-admitting hole, and said reverse-curved end portion including a curved guide surface convex to said interior wire-admitting hole, and a barb bent downwardly from said straight end portion at an acute angle and cooperating with said end portion curved guide surface to provide wire guide means defining a path for an admitted wire, said reverse-curved end portion including a first edged jaw having a first gripping edge directed generally at an acute angle to said defined path and away from said interior wire-admitting hole, said barb providing a second opposed cooperating latching jaw on the opposite side of said defined path from said first jaw, having a second gripping edge directed generally at an acute angle to said defined path and away from said interior wire-admitting hole, said first and second jaws normally being spaced apart by a distance less than the diameter of an admitted wire and biased toward each other, said wire retainer being received in said housing wire-retainer bay with said retainer straight end portion staked through said housing floor to said internal terminal structure to provide electrical connection between said retainer and said internal terminal structure, said retainer side portion being adjacent said bay side wall with said interior wire-admitting hole adjacent said exterior wire-admitting hole, whereby an admitted wire passes along said defined path and smoothly past said first and second gripping edges into retained position, and said first and second gripping edges cooperatively press into a said retained wire exerting a force opposed to the removal of said wire, said force increasing in magnitude during tension of said wire. 